Gauge-pin for printing presses



April 6, 1954 A. KLUGE 2 7 GAUGE-PIN FOR PRINTING .PRESSES Filed Aug. 2, 1951 gwuwrvtov ABEL KLUGE ww f ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 6, 1954 GAUGE-PIN FOR PRINTING PRESSES Abel Kluge, Woodbury Township, Washington County, Minn, assignor to Brandtjen and Kluge, Inc., St. Paul, Minn., a corporation of Minnesota.

Application August 2, 1951, Serial No. 239,879

4 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in gauge-pins for printing presses and particularly for presses of the platen type having a gauge-pin mounting in the form of a thin narrow strip or band.

In a printing press equipped with a gauge-pin mounting-strip at the bottom and/or at the side of the platen, it is desirable in respect to such a mounting-strip to provide therefor a gauge-pin of simple, durable and inexpensive construction capable of being readily applied thereto and adapted, without resort to tools of any kind, to be quickly and easily shoved therealong from one position of adjustment thereon to another.

A gauge-pin of such character will desirably include an abutment-wall against which sheets are to be fed and will have a guide-tongue overreaching such abutment-wall to direct sheets against the same. And it is particularly desirable that such gauge-pin be held automatically in all positions of its adjustment on the mountingstrip securely against shifting askew relative thereto.

An object of my invention, therefore, is to provide a gauge-pin for printing presses so constructed as to meet the desiderata above noted.

Other objects of the invention reside in the novel combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter illustrated and/or described.

In the drawing:

Fig. l is a perspective view showing two gaugepins constructed in accordance with my present invention and applied to a mounting-strip for bottom gauges on the platen of a printin press.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view in detail, taken as on the line 22 of Fig. 1, said view illustrating one of the gauge-pins shown in Fig. 1 as seen in elevation from the front edge thereof.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view, taken as on the line 33 of Fig. 2, illustrating in detail the gauge-pin shown in said Fig. 2 together with the mounting strip to which said gauge-pin is applied.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary enlargement illustrating in detail a portion of the gauge-pin structure shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is an elevational view in detail illustrating the gauge-pin shown in Fig. 2 as seen from the rear edge thereof with the guide-tongue removed.

Reference being had to the drawing, it will be observed that the printingpress, fragmentarily shown in Fig. 1, includes a platen I0 having thereon upper and lower tympan bales I I holdin a tympan sheet I2 on said platen III. A thin, narrow band or strip of metal constituting a mounting-strip B for bottom gauge-pins on the platen It extends lengthwise of the platen overlying the lower portion of the tympan sheet I2. Said mounting-strip I3 is detachably engaged at each end thereof with an anchoring post I4 upstanding from the top of a tethering block I5 which is mounted on a branch of the lower tympan bale I I for sliding adjustment therealong up and down the platen IO and for tilting movement inwardly toward and outwardly away from the platen. conventionally, the mounting of each tethering block I5 on its respective branch of the lower tympan bale II is accomplished through the medium of a groove It in the tethering block formed transversely thereof at its lower inner portion and through the medium of a rail I'I, mainly circular in cross-section, fastened flatwise to the tympan bale I I, said rail I! being fitted to said groove It for sliding and limited tilting movement of the tethering block I 5 relative to the rail. A set screw I8 extending through the upper portion of the tethering block I5 and abutting against the tympan bale II releasably secures said block relative to said bale in the various positions of adjustment of the block along the bale.

The present invention provides a practical gauge-pin structure which is readily applicable to a mounting element of the nature of said mounting-strip I3 and which, without resort to tools and by hand alone, is capable of being shoved along such mounting-strip into any of various positions of adjustment thereon wherein the gauge-pin is normally securely held on the mounting-strip entirely free from wobbling or skewin relative thereto.

The illustrated form of my improved gaugepin, designated by the reference character A, includes a body I9 in the form of a relatively thin elongated block having longitudinally thereof a rear wall 29 and a front wall 2 I, said front wall 2 I constituting an abutment-wall against which sheets are fed. Said body A is formed from end to endthereof at its underside with a T-groove 22 the bar portion of which provides a way 23 which rather snugly but freely slidably receives the mounting-strip I3 upon the endwise insertion of said strip into said way. The terminal sidewall 24 of the forward branch of the bar portion of said T-groove 22 faces and throughout its length bears against the upper edge of the mounting-strip I3, while the terminal sidewall 25 of the rear branch of said bar portion of said T-eroove 22 closely faces but does not bear against the lower edge of said mounting strip 13.

Although it has been indicated that the sidewall 24 of the way-forming bar portion of the T-groove 22 constitutes an elongated bearing surface which, throughout the length thereof, slidably engages the upper edge of the mountingstrip 13, it will be appreciated, of course, that such bearing surface at portions thereof relatively spaced apart longitudinally of the body l9 provides essentially relatively spaced bearings for slidable engagement with the upper edge of the said mounting-strip at relatively spaced positions thereon, both bearings being rigid relative to the body IS, the one bearing being adjacent one end of said body and the other bearing being adjacent the other end of said body.

In addition to the two rigid bearings in effect provided by relatively spaced portions of the bearing-forming sidewall 24 at the front of the way 23 near the ends of the body IQ for engagement with the upper edge of the mounting-strip 13, a third and yielding bearing 26 is provided at the rear of said way 23 midlength of the body IQ for engagement with the rear edge of the mounting-strip I3. Preferably, this yielding bearing 26 is in the form of a ball which is rather closely though loosely received within a bore 21 in the body 19. This bore 21 enters the body l9 intermediately thereof through its rear Wall and extends through the terminal wall of the rear branch of the bar portion of the T-groove 22. Interposed between the rear portion of the ball bearing 26 and a plug 28 screwed into the bore 21 from the rear thereof is an expansion spring 29. Under force exerted by said spring 29 the ball bearing 26 is urged forward in the bore 21, the forward portion of said ball bearing 26 being thereby projected beyond the terminal wall 25 of the way 23 into its rear branch of the bar portion of the T-groove 22 where it yieldingly engages the lower edge of the mountingstrip l3 at a point midlength of the body E9. This yielding engagement of the ball bearing 26 with the lower edge of the mounting-strip 13 results in a tendency to shift the body I9 transversely in direction downwardly crosswise of the mounting-strip 13, thereby bringing and firmly holding the terminal sidewall 24 of the way 23 (and, of course, a pair of relatively spaced bearing portions of said sidewall 24) against the upper edge of the mounting-strip 13. Thus, it will be understood that, while the yieldability of the ball bearing 26 will permit the body 19 of the gauge-pin to be moved longitudinally of the mounting-strip 13 from one position thereon to another simply by pulling or pushing said body along said mounting-strip, the said body IS in each of such positions will be normally securely held, as by a three-point bearing, against shifting askew of the mounting-strip l3, always with the abutment-wall 21 of said body 19 in the same relation with respect to said mounting-strip [-3.

The bore 21 in the body I9 is of a greater dimension diametrically than the width of the sidewall 25 of the way 23 beyond which said bore 21 extends, the result being that an annular stopshoulder 30 is provided at the inner end of the bore 21. This stop-shoulder 30 functions to limit the inward thrust of the ball bearing 26 when the body 19 of the gauge-pin A is disassociated with the mounting-strip 13. But when the body 19 is strung onto the mounting-strip 13, the ball bearing 26 is forced back in the bore 21 and, in-

stead of bearing against said stop-shoulder 30,

the said bearing 26 bears against the lower edge of the mounting-strip l3 as previously indicated.

Formed in the upper side of the gauge-pin body 19 transversely thereof is an inverted T- groove 3|, the bar portion of which provides a way 32 into which the butt portion of a guidefinger 33 is removably inserted in such fashion that the main portion of said guide-finger 33 overreaches the front abutment-wall 2! of the body l9, thereby to guide a sheet as it is fed onto the platen It so that the leading edge of such sheet will engage the said abutment-wall 2| of said body 19.

Changes in the specific form of my invention, as herein described, may be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A gauge-pin for a printing press having a gauge-pin mounting consisting of a thin strip adapted to occupy a position flatwise adjacent the face of the platen, said gauge-pin comprising a solid relatively thin fiat elongated block having a T-groove in its under side longitudinally thereof, the bar portion of said groove providing a way for slidably accommodating said mounting strip upon its insertion endwise thereinto, each of the branches of the bar portion of said groove having a terminal sidewall, the distance between said sidewalls being slightly greater than the width of said mounting strip, the sidewall of one of said branches of said groove providing rigid bearings at the ends of said block for slidable engagement with one edge of said mounting strip, said block having a transverse bore therein mid-length thereof, said bore opening at its inner end through and extending beyond the sidewall of the other of said branches of said groove, a ball-bearing contained in and movable along said bore, an expansion spring within said bore acting against the ball-bearing yieldingly to press it against the other edge of said mounting strip, thereby normally to hold said first bearings firmly against said first edge of said mounting strip while permitting the block to be pushed or pulled along said mounting strip from one position of adjustment thereon to another. the diameter of said bore and likewise the diameter of said ball-bearing being greater than the Width of the sidewall of the branch of said groove through which said bore opens, thereby providing for the substantial projection of said ballbearing into said branch of said groove, while further providing a shoulder at the extremity of said bore for retaining the ball-bearing therein when the gauge-pin is unattached to the mounting strip, said block having a side-edge wall forming an abutment for sheets in the feeding thereof to the gauge-pin, and a guide tongue for such sheets mounted on said block and overreaching said abutment wall, said block having a groove in its upper side transversely thereof for the reception of the butt of said tongue, said groove being ofiset from said bore longitudinally of the block.

2. A gauge-pin for a printing press having a gauge-pin mounting consisting of a thin strip adapted to occupy a position flatwise adjacent the face of the platen, said gauge-pin comprising a solid relatively thin fiat elongated block having a T-groove in its underside longitudinally thereof, the bar portion of said groove providing a way for slidably accommodating said mounting strip upon its insertion endwise thereinto, each of end through and extending beyond the sidewall or the other of said branches of said groove intermediately of said rigid bearings, a ball-bearing contained in and movable along said bore, an expansion spring within said bore acting against the ball-bearing yieldingly to press it against the other edge of said mounting strip, thereby normally to hold said rigid bearings firmly against said first edge of said mounting strip while permitting the block to be pushed or pulled along said mounting strip from one position of adjustment thereon to another, the diameter of said bore and likewise the diameter or" said ballbearing being greater than the width of the sidewall of the branch of said groove through which said bore opens, thereby providing for the substantial projection of said ball-bearing into said branch of said groove while further providing a shoulder at the extremity of said bore for retaining the ball-bearing therein when the gaugepin is unattached to the mounting strip, and a sheet engaging member removably mounted on the block, said block having a cut therein for the reception oi a portion of said sheet engaging member, said out being ofiset from said bore longitudinally of the block.

3. A gauge-pin for a printing press having a gauge-pin mounting consisting of a thin strip adapted to occupy a position flatwise adjacent the face of the platen, said gauge-pin comprising a solid relatively thin fiat elongated block having a T-groove in its underside longitudinally thereof, the bar portion of said groove providing a way for slidably accommodating said mounting strip upon its insertion endwise thereinto, each of the branches of the bar portion of said groove having a terminal sidewall, the distance between said sidewalls being slightly greater than the width of said mounting strip, said body having two bearings at localities spaced apart along the sidewall of one of the branches of said groove, said bearings being adapted to engage one edge of said mounting strip, said body having an additional hearing at the sidewall of the other of said branches of said groove, said additional bearing being positioned lengthwise of the block between said first two bearings and adapted slidably to engage the other edge of the mounting strip, one of said bearings being a ball-bearing, Said block having therein a transverse bore opening at its inner end through and extending beyond the sidewall of one of said branches of said groove, said ball-bearing being contained in and movable along said bore, an expansion spring within said bore acting against the ball-bearing yieldingly to press it against its respective edge of said mounting strip, thereby normally to hold the other bearings firmly against said mounting strip edgewise thereof while permitting the block to be pushed or pulled along said mounting strip from one position of adjustment thereon to another, the diameter of said bore and likewise the diam eter of said ball-bearing being greater than the width of the sidewall of the branch of said groove through which said bore opens, thereby providing for the substantial projection of said ballbearing into said branch of said groove while further providing a shoulder at the extremity of said bore for retaining the ball-bearing therein when the gauge-pin is unattached to the mounting strip.

1. A gauge-pin for a printing press having a gauge-pin mounting consisting of a thin strip adapted to occupy a position fiatwise adjacent the face of the platen, said gauge-pin comprising a solid relatively thin flat elongated block having a T-groove in its underside longitudinally thereof, the bar portion of said groove providing a way for slidably accommodating said mounting strip upon its insertion endwise thereinto, each of the branches of the bar portion of said groove having a terminal side wall, the distance between said sidewalls being slightly greater than the width of said mounting strip, the sidewall of one of said branches of said groove providing rigid bearings relatively spaced apart longitudinally of said block for slidable engagement with one edge of said mounting strip, said block having a cavity therein opening at its inner extremity through and extending beyond the sidewall of the other of said branches of said groove at a locality intermediately of said rigid bearings, a bearing member disposed within said cavity and movable therein, spring means acting upon said bearing member yieldingly to press it against the other edge of said mounting strip, thereby normally to hold said rigid bearings firmly against said first edge of said mounting strip while permitting the block to be pushed or pulled along said mounting strip from one position of adjustment thereon to another, the width of the sidewall of said second branch of said groove being less than the corresponding dimension of said cavity at its opening through that said sidewall and similarly less than the corresponding dimension of said bearing member, thereby providing for the substantial projection of said bearing member into said second branch of said groove while further providing shoulder means at the inner extremity of said cavity for retaining the bearing member therein when the gauge-pin is unattached to the mounting strip.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 873,183 Stapp Dec. 10, 1907 875,060 Gay Dec. 31, 1907 905,869 Grove Dec. 8, 1908 945,893 Woodward Jan. 11, 1910 1,068,705 Schniedewend July 20, 1913 1,133,459 Carrier Mar. 30, 1915 1,162,102 Rager Nov. 30, 1915 1,170,274 Karl Feb. 1, 1916 1,385,169 Bardley July 19, 1921 1,720,655 Brown July 9, 1929 1,854,215 Mueller Apr. 19, 1932 

